Jerusalem ? A Palestinian extremist blew himself up and a second militant was fatally shot by Israeli soldiers staging a raid Thursday in the West Bank town of Jenin, the worst violence between the two sides in nearly a month.

The bloodshed came as Palestinian candidates campaigned for Jan. 25 parliamentary elections and raised fears it could spark further violence that could hamper future campaign events.

Late Thursday, Fatah gunmen demanding government jobs opened fire on Palestinian Interior Minister Nasser Yousef’s house and the Palestinian Cabinet building in Ramallah, wounding one of Yousef’s bodyguards seriously and two others moderately, Palestinian officials said.

Earlier in the day, Israeli troops hunting for Islamic Jihad militants entered Jenin and surrounded two houses, the army and Palestinian security officials said.

Three men in one of the homes surrendered, said Maj. Sharon Esman, a spokesman for the army’s central command.

Two men in the other house opened fire, sparking a gunbattle that left one gunman dead, Esman said. A second man came out with an explosives belt and blew himself up, causing no injuries to the soldiers, Esman said.